[Tension & Renewal - VII]
I've heard that all non-physiologically-based mental illness is the consequence of loneliness. I understand that is a generalization, but anecdotally it measures up.
When I worked in homeless advocacy, I encountered every day the the most extreme versions of mental and emotional unrest. My friends on the streets suffered from addiction and mental instability.
But more fundamentally they suffered from being alone. Separated. Cut off. Living in isolation.
Eventually one forgets how to relate. To be trustworthy and trusting. To be intimate and loving. At the base of sanity is not individual willpower or executive functioning; at the base of sanity is connection, support, and love.
Any genuine renewal embraces this fundamental truth of human health. It includes the willingness and commitment to stay in relationships.
